Finally, search begins for a fighter to replace MiG-21s

October 09, 2016 12:52 am | Updated November 01, 2016 11:42 pm IST - NEW DELHI:

The aircraft, to be manufactured in India, will replace the large number of ageing Mig-21s

Indian Air Force (IAF) MIG 21 jet fighter aircrafts perform during a parade at an airbase in Tezpur, India, Friday, Nov. 21 2014. Indian President Pranab Mukherjee presented the presidential Standards, considered one of the greatest honors for an Air Force unit, to 115 Helicopter Unit and 26 Squadron of the IAF “for their selfless devotion, professionalism and courage in the face of adversity,” according to a press release. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Indian Air Force (IAF) MIG 21 jet fighter aircrafts perform during a parade at an airbase in Tezpur, India, Friday, Nov. 21 2014. Indian President Pranab Mukherjee presented the presidential Standards, considered one of the greatest honors for an Air Force unit, to 115 Helicopter Unit and 26 Squadron of the IAF “for their selfless devotion, professionalism and courage in the face of adversity,” according to a press release. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Within days of signing the deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, the Defence Ministry has issued a Request For Information (RFI) to global aircraft manufacturers, formally starting the process to select yet another fighter to be built in India under technology transfer.

Sources told The Hindu that an RFI for a single-engine fighter to be manufactured in India with extensive technology transfer was issued this week to countries involved in fighter aircraft manufacture. Based on the responses, a detailed RFP (Request for Proposal) would be issued later.

Last month, India and France concluded a government-to-government deal worth €7.87-billion deal for 36 Rafale multi-role jets in flyaway condition.

The selected aircraft is expected to replace the large number of MiG-21s in service, which will be phased out over the next few years.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has stated in the past that the Rafale, a medium-weight jet, is not a replacement for MiG-21s and another aircraft would be selected to replace the latter. He has also said these would be built in partnership with the private sector.

Addressing the Indian Air Force on the 84th raising day, Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Arup Raha observed that an “early decision on indigenous ‘Make in India’ fighter aircraft project would greatly enhance our operational capability in the near term.”

Boeing and Lockheed Martin of the U.S. and SAAB of Sweden have already submitted detailed proposals to manufacture their F-18, F-16 and Gripen jets respectively in India under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.